How can you make R&B and hip-hop music for free?

A:

Quick Answer

Rap music can be made for free by composing the lyrics and programming a beat. To create a hip hop beat, download one of the free digital audio workstations, or DAWs. Audacity, Ardour and Reaper are all free, popular DAWs.

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To write a rap beat, open the free DAW. Create a new track, and label it "Drums." Then, use either a MIDI keyboard or the DAW's piano roll to input a MIDI rhythm for the drum track. Nearly all rap beats are written in a 4/4 time signature, which means there are four beats per measure. The kick drum and the snare drum form the backbone of most rap beats, often with the kick sounding on beat one and the snare on beat three.

Next, use a MIDI keyboard to write a bass line. Use one of the free synthesizers, which come with the DAW to generate the bass line. This, when layered with the drum track, form the foundation of the song. Once the bass line and the drum track mesh together well, feel free to add other instruments, sound effects and percussive noises to spice up the beat.

Once you're happy with the beat, write lyrics for both the verses and the chorus. Using a microphone, record the rap into a new track in the DAW. Continue to apply effects and tweak settings in the DAW until the song sounds coherent. When the track is done, use the "Export Audio" function in the DAW to combine all of the individual instrument tracks into a single WAV or MP3 file.